Regulation of acrylamide formation in a starch-based potato strips model by oxygen supplementation in air frying...

A starch-based gel model containing asparagine and glucose was established to investigate the inhibition of oxygen on acrylamide formation during air frying. Pre-frying formed a stable starch-lipid crust, reducing acrylamide by 75% compared to non-pre-fried systems. Oxygen supplementation at 1 L/min accelerated moisture loss, resulting in a significant increase of acrylamide from 621.7 to 2487.1 μg/kg. However, a lower flow rate of 0.5 L/min minimized moisture interference and reflected the inhibitory effect of oxygen on acrylamide formation. Under the controlled dehydration conditions, the introduction of 26% O₂ reduced the acrylamide by 27% compared to the air fryer without an external oxygen supply. This was correlated with the inhibition of precursor asparagine degradation via oxidative pathway diversion, as well as the accumulation of intermediates, including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, methylglyoxal, and 3-deoxyglucosone. The model demonstrated that oxygen primarily inhibited acrylamide generation by indirectly regulating the oxidative environment and participating in free radical reactions.